Clematis Plant Named &#39;Evipo061&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new  Clematis  plant with a compact growth habit, profuse, Violet flowers, and continuous summer flowering. The variety successfully propagates from softwood cuttings and is suitable for cultivation commercial nursery culture. This new and distinct variety has shown to be uniform and stable in the resulting generations from asexual propagation from vegetative cuttings.

Botanical Classification

Genus: Clematis

Species: viticella

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Evipo061’

SUMMARY OF THE CLAIMED PLANT

The present invention constitutes a new and distinct variety of Clematisplant which originated from a controlled crossing between the femaleseed parent, an unnamed, non-patented, seedling, and the male pollenparent, an un-named, non-patented, seedling.

The two parents were crossed during the summer of 2003 and the resultingseeds were planted the following winter in a controlled environment inGuernsey, Channel Islands, United Kingdom. The new variety named‘Evipo061’originated as a single seedling from the stated cross.

The new clematis plant may be distinguished from its female seed parentand male pollen parent by the following characteristics. The female seedparent has white anthers, while the claimed plant has violet-blueanthers. The male pollen parent has flowers which are violet-blue, whilethe claimed plant has flowers which are violet in color.

The objective of the hybridization of this clematis plant was to createa new and distinct variety for nursery culture with unique qualitiessuch as:

1. Uniform and abundant Violet flowers;

2. Vigorous and compact growth, making the variety suitable forcontainer culture; and

3. Improved disease resistance.

This combination of qualities was lacking in clematis plants that werein commercial cultivation and the qualities have been substantiallyachieved in the new variety.

‘Evipo061’ was selected by Mogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison intheir clematis development program in the Channel Islands, UnitedKingdom in 2004. Asexual reproduction of ‘Evipo061’ by means ofvegetative cuttings and traditional layering was first performed byMogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison in the nursery during the summerof 2004. This initial and subsequent asexual propagations havedemonstrated that the characteristics of ‘Evipo061’ are true to type andare transmitted from one generation to the next.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying color illustration shows as true as is reasonablypossible to obtain in color photographs of this type the typicalcharacteristics of the buds, flowers, leaves, and stems, of ‘Evipo061’.Specifically illustrated in the drawing are flowers at various stages ofdevelopment, flower in parts, leaves, and stems. Illustrated plants are2 years of age.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following is a detailed description of ‘Evipo061’, as observed inits growth throughout the flowering period in open air cultivation inYamhill county Oreg. Observed plants were cultivated for a period of 18months in 2 gallon containers. Certain phenotypical characteristics ofthe variety may vary under different environmental, cultural, agronomic,seasonal, and climatic conditions. Color references are made using TheRoyal Horticultural Society (London, England) Colour Chart, 2001, exceptwhere common terms of color are used.

For a comparison, several physical characteristics of the clematisvariety ‘Evipo023’ described and illustrated in U.S. Plant Pat. No.15,166 issued Sep. 21, 2004 are compared to ‘Evipo061’ in Chart 1.

CHART 1 ‘Evipo061’ ‘Evipo023’ General tonality of Violet Group 85BViolet-Blue Group 91A flower color with a central bar of Violet Group84C Anther color Violet-Blue Group Yellow 2D N92A

-   Flower and flower bud:    -   -   Blooming habit.—Recurrent. The natural flowering period is            generally from May to September.        -   Flower bud.—Size: Normally 35 mm in length. Bud diameter is            14 mm. Bud form: Elliptic. Bud color: Yellow-Green Group            145A. Texture: Lightly pubescent.        -   Peduncle.—Surface Texture: Smooth. Dimensions: On average 40            mm long, 2 mm wide. Color: Yellow-Green Group 145A.            Strength: Moderately strong.        -   Receptacle.—Surface Texture: Smooth. Shape: Funnel. Size: 2            mm (h)×2 mm (w). Color: Yellow-Green Group 145A.        -   Flower arrangement.—Location on vine: New and old growth.            Borne: Singly and in clusters of 3 per flowering branch.            Aspect: Flowers are oriented upwards and to 45 degree angle.            Overlapping: Strong.        -   Flower bloom.—Size: On average, flowers are 111 mm in            diameter and 20 mm in depth. Profile: Flat. Fragrance: None.            Lasting Quality: Flowers normally remain 6 days on the            plant.        -   Tepals.—Tepal Color: The upper surface is Violet Group 85B            with a central bar of Violet Group 84C. The lower surface is            Violet Group 85B with a central bar of Yellow-Green Group            145D. Quantity: Normally 7 tepals. Size: 50 mm in length by            35 mm wide. Shape: Individual tepal shape is elliptic. The            tepal apex is mucronate. The tepal base is typically acute.            Apex Recurvature: Recurved strongly. Tepal Cross section:            Reflexed strongly. Margins: Entire. Moderately undulated.            Persistence: Tepals drop off cleanly.        -   Reproductive organs.—Arrangement: Open. Pollen: None            observed. Anthers: Size: 5 mm in length. Color: Violet-Blue            Group N92A. Quantity: On average, 65. Filaments: Color:            White Group 155C. Length: 8 mm. Pistils: Quantity: On            average, 15. Stigmas: Level in location relative to the            length of the filaments and the height of the anthers.            Styles: Color: Green-White Group 157A. Length: 7 mm.-   Plant:    -   -   Plant form.—Climbing.        -   Plant growth.—Moderately vigorous.        -   Size.—Seasons growth attains 3 meters in height. Average            spread is 50 cm.        -   Stems.—Color: Juvenile stems are Yellow-Green Group 144A.            Mature stems are Yellow-Green Group 144A with intonations of            Greyed-Purple Group 183A. Internodes: On average, 6 cm            between nodes. Length: Normally 40 cm from the base of the            plant to the flowering portion of the stem. Diameter:            Normally 3 mm. Texture: Mature stems ribbed.        -   Plant foliage.—Leaf characteristics: Deciduous. Arrangement:            Trifoliate, opposite. Leaf Size: Compound leaves are            normally 80 mm (l)×85 mm (w). Leaflets are normally 45 mm            (l)×25 mm (w). Abundance: On average 4 leaves per 10 cm of            stem. Leaf Color: Juvenile upper Yellow-Green Group 144A.            Juvenile lower Yellow-Green Group 144A. Mature upper            Yellow-Green Group 146A. Mature lower Yellow-Green Group            146B. Stipules: Absent. Petioles: Size: Normally 30 mm in            length by 1 mm diameter. Texture: Smooth. Color:            Yellow-Green Group 144A with intonations of Greyed-Orange            Group 177B. Petioloule: Size: Normally 10 mm in length by 1            mm diameter. Texture: Smooth. Color: Yellow-Green Group            144A. Leaflet Shape: Generally elliptic. The base is            rounded. The apex is acute. Margin: Entire. Some leaflets            are tri-lobed. Surface: The upper and lower surfaces are            smooth. Thickness: Moderate. Glossiness: Matte appearance.        -   Disease resistance.—Subject to any disease that normally            attacks the species. However the variety is more tolerant to            clematis wilt, Phoma clematidina, than some clematis.        -   Cold hardiness.—The variety is tolerant to USDA Hardiness            Zone 6.        -   Heat tolerance.—The variety has been found to be suitable            for climate conditions found in the American Horticulture            Society

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of clematis plant named‘Evipo061’, substantially as described and illustrated, due to itsabundant Violet flowers with good keepability, attractive long lastingfoliage and compact growth, year round flowering under glasshouseconditions, suitability for production from softwood cuttings in pots,durable flowers and foliage which make the variety suitable fordistribution in the floral industry.